Dr. Eric Stabb and Dr. Anna Karls are recipients of the 2011 UGA Master Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring and the 2011 UGA Graduate School Outstanding Mentoring Award, respectively. Dr. Stabb is pictured with Melissa Tumen, who did her undergraduate research with Dr. Stabb and is currently a graduate student in the Microbiology program, and Noreen Lyell, who co-mentored Melissa in Dr. Stabb's lab and is completing her Ph.D. under his direction. Dr. Karls is pictured with graduate student mentee David Samuels, who nominated her for the award.

The Master Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Research Mentoring recognizes outstanding faculty who consistently “involve undergraduates in research and foster the enrichment of the undergraduate learning experience at the University of Georgia”. At the CURO Symposium on April 4, Dr. David Lee, the Vice President for Research, praised Dr. Stabb’s many contributions to the undergraduate research experience at UGA, noting his mentoring of 25 undergraduates since joining the Department of Microbiology in 2001, his directorship of the NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates program in Microbiology and his implementation of an Entering Mentoring Program to train graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from more than a dozen departments and institutes at UGA in mentoring undergraduates in the laboratory.

The Graduate School Outstanding Mentoring Award recognizes and rewards faculty for “innovation and effectiveness in mentoring graduate students during their educational experience”. This honor is bestowed upon only one faculty member in the Life/Physical Sciences every other year. Dr. Karls earned this award for her committed mentoring of UGA graduate students as research advisor for 6 students, committee member for more than 50 Microbiology, Genetics, and Biochemistry students and graduate coordinator for Microbiology. Over the last decade, Dr. Karls has been unique and outstanding in her promotion of career development opportunities for graduate students, her encouragement and assistance in applications for graduate fellowships, and in helping graduate students navigate both scientific problems and life decisions. As her nomination letter notes, it would be difficult to find someone at UGA “who is as selfless in giving her time and experience to help students at all levels succeed in classes, in the lab, and ultimately, in life, as Dr. Anna Karls is”.